About Greyhounds & Lurchers

If you are thinking of giving a home to a dog, please consider a greyhound or lurcher – they make great pets!

Sighthounds

Different breeds of dog have been bred to fulfill different roles for mankind. Collies and gundogs such as spaniels and retrievers have been bred for the characteristics required for herding or retrieving, in tandem with a human handler and enhanced by man, over many centuries. Greyhounds and lurchers, collectively referred to as sighthounds, have been designed to hunt independently by sight.

All breeds of dog have a ‘prey drive’ so most dogs will not be able to live with cats or small animals. Greyhounds and lurchers are no different, but whilst most cannot share their lives with a ‘small furry’, a few can! Please look for the ‘cat trainable’ symbol on each dog’s profile here, and read our Fact Sheets on homing dogs if you have a cat or other small animal.

Greyhounds

Many greyhounds come to Forever Hounds Trust after retiring from the racing track, usually at between the age of three and five. Others never make it to the track, due to early injuries or being too slow. All of these dogs can make great family pets as greyhounds are typically gentle, laid-back and very affectionate!

A greyhound’s reputation as a ’40 mph couch potato’ is well deserved! Most need just two short (20-30 minute) walks a day. They love nothing more than a cosy bed or sofa to stretch out on, and will then happily snooze most of the day.

And greyhounds might be a little larger than the average dog, but they really are gentle giants. They tend to walk well on the lead, are docile in nature, and are very clean – even after muddy walks, their short coats make little mess.

Lurchers

It is so very sad to see the general public buying ‘designer dogs’ when this in turn means healthy rescue dogs are put to sleep daily in pounds, because there are simply not enough homes for them. Here at Forever Hounds Trust we have long understood the lure of the designer breed because for twenty years we have been homing the ultimate version of them – we call them ‘lurchers’ and we know what fantastic pets they make!

Lurchers are a mixed breed of sighthound (such as greyhound, deerhound, saluki, borzoi, whippet) and working dog (such as collie, gun dog, bull breed, German Shepherd). Being mix bred, they are usually more energetic than greyhounds, but after a burst of energy and excitement they are happy to curl up and sleep for a few hours. Dependent upon their age and mix of breeds, they often suit younger families or active families (there are lots of amazing sports you can do with lurchers, including the increasingly popular cani-cross – running with your dog), or families who like to walk miles with their dogs.

Lurchers are fun, playful, and great companions!

Watch the video below of Moth, a lurcher who found her forever home through Forever Hounds Trust, trying out dog agility for the first time!

We home dogs to families, consider people without gardens and people in smaller properties too – we assess each home offer case by case and always endeavour to find the right dog for you and your circumstances.